More than a decade ago, soon after giving birth to her daughter Haven, Jessica Alba founded The Honest Company. When it launched, it stood out, not just because the earth-friendly diapers and cleaning products adhered to a no-no ingredient list long before that was common, but because Alba was present, involved, and well, honest. At the time, celebrities tended to be the faces of beauty campaigns, not founders willing to speak about their skin sensitivities and what it was like to be a new mom. That authenticity and business acumen have helped turn Honest into a billion dollar company. And while the brand still makes really cute diapers, it’s grown with Alba.
These days, it’s not unusual for Alba to walk into Honest Beauty’s in-house, female-run lab and work with the chemists to create what her skin needs—a blush that brightens her up or a shampoo and body wash for her sensitive skin. “The big thing is to get the moisture back into my face; when skin loses it, that’s when the aging comes in. I slather on our Hydrogel and think, holy moly. I look 10 years younger. It’s awesome,” she shares. “We have a tinted eye cream made with the same base formula and you won’t even need to wear concealer with it. It’s life-changing.”
Below, the refreshingly forthright star shares more about her approach to aging skin.
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As you start to see signs of aging, how do you feel about them?
When you’re evolving in the way that you’re meant to, aging doesn’t feel scary. I don’t think, oh my God, a piece of my identity is gone. It’s actually nice growing into myself and feeling more grounded and connected. When I was younger, I was so wildly insecure and critical of myself. What a waste of time. I should have been running around naked.
What, if anything, do you do to address aging?
There’s only so much you can do. I’m always trying to get ahead of it and, hey, if there’s a laser that can help, I’m going to try it—along with great skincare, drinking a ton of water, and eating a decent diet.
What’s your stance on more invasive treatments?
Why not? I’m not judge-y. Do whatever makes you feel good. I think you can be connected with who you are and still want to look great, still want to hang onto your plump skin. I haven’t done Botox. A lot of my friends have told me that I could use a little bit, but I haven’t gone there yet. But I have had my blood drawn, spun, and then injected into my face. It’s called a platelet-rich plasma facial and I’m not going to lie, it was a little bit scary. But then about a week later at work my friend said, did you do something different? Your skin looks really good. I was like, no, I mean, I didn’t do anything...except have my face injected with my own blood.
Your daughters are now 14 and 11. Do you see a difference in how they navigate their appearance compared to how you did?
This younger generation is like, this is who I am. Take it or leave it. I love these new norms with people being able to create their own lane. I don’t want them to compare themselves to the airbrushed version of what I was in my youth—and they don’t. They think those images are so embarrassing. I have to explain that I come from a generation where perfection was valued. Now, I don’t overly retouch; but good lighting is key. Even Gen Z knows how to find their light.
I also never talk about my appearance in front of my kids. And I want them to feel awesome about theirs. My oldest daughter has always been tall and since she was three I’ve told her to stand proud; my middle child is the only redhead in our family and I tell her how everyone would just die to have her hair color. Again, they tell me I’m so embarrassing.
Even the most confident can have a low day. How do you handle that moment?
I like to set my alarm half an hour before I need to get up so I can meditate. I use an app called Insight Timer, put in my earphones, and often do it while I’m still in bed. When I skip it, everything feels a bit more overwhelming, and I feel a bit frazzled. That’s when I start to care about how my eyebrow is a little bit lower than it used to be or, shit, what are those lines around my eyes? Why do I still have a smile when I’m not smiling? After I meditate I don’t see those things when I look in the mirror.
Jessica Alba's Go-To Beauty Products
Honest Honestly Bright Eyes Tinted Eye Cream
Honest Creme Cheek + Lip Color
Honest Hydrogel Cream
Honest Calm Shampoo + Body Wash
Kate Sandoval Box (she/her) is the Beauty Director at Oprah Daily. She has over 18 years of experience at national women’s media brands; and, in fact, started her publishing career at O, The Oprah Magazine. She’s also held beauty editor roles at Shape, Self, Latina, and Cosmopolitan. Kate tests hundreds and hundreds of beauty products that cross her desk each year and interviews many top experts, celebrities, and indie brand founders to bring you the best in beauty. Follow her on Instagram.
